Rescue Me
My throat tightened as I stared at Charlie, my best friend, while we danced. I couldn't tell him; if I did, I would lose his friendship. For more than eight years we had been friends, we always did everything together, and I never used to care about how I looked. Now I do. Slowly I shook my head. I couldn't...no I wasn't...I couldn't be falling for my best friend. No way. Shifting my gaze up to the sky, I wished my mother were still alive. I really needed to talk to her.
When I was little, my mother died and I never even knew my birth father. A few years before she passed away, Mom married Richard. From the moment I met the man I didn't trust him. There was...I don't know, there was something about him that I didn't like. I tried to warn my mother, but Richard made her think I was scared of having a new father. Mom often tried to talk to me about Richard, but when he threatened to hurt me if I convinced my mother not to marry him, I was too scared to confide in her. Even when he was away, I actually believed he could still hear every word I said.
Tears threatened to spill as I thought about my unhappy childhood with Richard, but I pushed them away, squeezed my eyes shut, and pressed my lips firmly together, squelching the sob that threatened to escape my throat. It had been ten years since Mom had passed and I had been forced to become a servant in my own household and wait upon Richard's selfish, piggish daughter, Lena. Every night, I swear, as she stuffed herself full of food her body continuously swelled up like an expanding balloon. Numerous posters of the President's son decorated every wall of her bedroom. Whenever her friends visited, if they weren't bothering me, they would swoon and gush over the President's son. Lena actually believed she was going to marry him.
I wouldn't be surprised if her father managed to get her engaged to him, since he worked as part of the President's cabinet and influenced many of his decisions. Man, if Richard succeeded, I pitied the boy who would be forced to marry Lena.
"Stefni?" Charlie's voice broke into my thoughts.
"Hmmm?" I replied as I lifted my eyes and looked up at his six-foot figure. My breath caught in my throat. His gentle, brown eyes, with several smaller flecks of cinnamon swimming around, glowed with concern. A breath of wind swept through and tousled both his wavy hair and my shoulder-length curls.
"Are you all right? You haven't said two words since we arrived."
"I'm fine, Charlie, I just have a lot on my mind," I quickly assured him as I thought about the last several years.
A year after Mom died, Charlie was sent away to school. We kept in touch through letters, but I had to be careful not to let Lena see them. If she did, she would have taken them away, like she did most of my stuff. She was always coming into my room and demanding anything she wanted. When I refused to give her my things, she ran screaming to her father, crying that I had hit and taunted her. That's when I learned not to leave my precious possessions in plain sight.
Nine years later, while shopping for Lena's birthday party, I bumped into Charlie. Since I hadn't received any letters from him recently, I thought maybe he too had abandoned me. However, he explained that he had been kept extremely busy over the past year. Over the course of the last several months, he and I have been hanging out during my spare time. But I haven't told him about being a servant yet. How could I? Besides, who would want to be friends with a servant anyway?
However, Charlie seemed to really care about me. Yesterday he invited me to the President's Ball, saying he really wanted me to come. I tried, but Lena got me so riled up at dinner, that I lost control of my temper and shouted, "At least I don't have to bribe someone to marry me!" Humiliated, she locked me in my room. She knew if Richard found me there after they returned from the President's Ball, he would be furious that I had neglected my nightly chores.
Later that night, Charlie appeared and rescued me. As he tried to lead me into where the ball was taking place, I refused and said I wanted to stay outside. If I joined the ball, Lena and Richard would be sure to see me. Cheerfully, Charlie stayed with me. We sat underneath a tree, enjoying each other's company. Slowly I became aware of the music the band was playing. My eyes involuntarily slipped closed as I listened and hummed softly. Suddenly Charlie jumped to his feet. Startled, I looked up at him, about to ask what he was doing, when he held his hand out to me. My heart pounded in my chest as I realized he was asking me to dance.
Smiling I stood up and wrapped my arms around his neck, while his arms slid around my waist and we began swaying to the music's rhythm. My hair whipped around my face as Charlie stepped back and twirled me under his arm. The bright green, blue, and yellow lights entwined above our heads in the tree branches reflected off my dress, causing the violet and indigo fabric to shimmer. A soft smile graced my lips as I recalled Mom giving me the dress before she died. She told me it was the gown she wore when she met my real father.
As Charlie pulled me back towards him, he tightened his grip around my waist, holding me close. In his eyes I saw so much warmth, affection, and trust that I tore my gaze away, unable to hold it anymore. He trusted me. My throat grew dry as I realized I wasn't being fair to him by keeping my past hidden, but I loved him too much to risk losing him. I froze. Wait a minute, love? My stomach twisted in knots. Did I really love him?
While he played with one of my dangling earrings, I saw something else in his eyes that I couldn't quite understand. As he held my gaze, I knew the years of friendship had blossomed into something new for me, but did he share the same feelings?
Silently he lifted his hand to my cheek, slowly stroking my skin. I caught his hand and leaned into the caress. My body trembled as I tentatively reached up and brushed my fingers across his skin. His eyes held mine as he slowly curled his fingers around my neck. My breathing grew horse as he leaned closer. Involuntarily my eyes slipped closed.
"Stefni Arson!" Charlie and I both jumped at Lena's shrill voice. "What do you think you're doing with the President's son?" Confusion coursed through my veins as I glanced between Lena and Charlie, but Charlie refused to look at me. Suddenly a sickening sensation flashed through my mind as my eyes widened and my palms grew sweaty.
"What are you talking about, Lena?" I croaked.
She stalked towards us, her body wobbling, and pointed a porky finger at Charlie. "That, Stefni, is the President's son!"
Sucking in a sharp breath, I slowly began to back away. Charlie was the President's son? Why didn't he tell me? A violent stab of pain shot through my heart as my eyes flickered towards him. He stood staring at the ground. Why had he kept part of his identity a secret? As I felt my eyes burning with anger, my gaze fell on Lena. What if she revealed my true identity as well? If I felt betrayed and hurt, how would Charlie feel if he learned what I really was?
"Why didn't you tell me?" I exclaimed trying to ignore the stinging sensation behind my eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were the President's son?"
When he didn't answer, I tried to push by him, when he grabbed my arm. I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened. "Stefni, please look at me."
As I lifted my head, I fought to conceal my emotions. "Let go of my arm, Charlie," I replied, my voice trembling. I had to get out of here.
"You mean you didn't know?" Lena's toad-like face broke into a leer.
Charlie ignored her and grabbed my other arm, restraining me from fleeing. "I wanted to, Stefni, but I didn't think you'd want to be friends with me if you knew who I really was."
"I didn't become your friend because of your status, Charlie. I became friends with you. I wouldn't have cared about you being the President's son. Those things don't matter to me."
"If they don't matter, then why didn't you tell him what you really are, servant?"
I stiffened and lowered my gaze, feeling Charlie's perplexed eyes staring at me. "What did she mean by that, Stefni?" I didn't answer. Things just couldn't get any worse, could they?
"You're friend, Stefni, is really my servant."
Inwardly I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut. I felt as if I was going to be sick. I should have told him when I had the chance. Now he was going to think I didn't trust him enough with the truth about who I was. No, I had lied and made him believe I was something I wasn't.
"What?" Charlie exclaimed as his gaze snapped towards me. "Tell me that isn't true, Stefni."
As I lifted my tear-stained face, I cringed at the streaks of lightning blazing in his eyes. I tried to open my mouth, hoping to explain, but froze as I caught sight of a scowling Richard approaching.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded when he got closer. Then he caught sight of Charlie. "Oh, I am sorry, sir." Roughly he seized my arm and yanked me away from Charlie's grasp. "I don't know what my servant is doing here, but I assure you, it won't happen again."
Charlie tried to step towards me, but Lena restrained him and laid her lumpy head upon his shoulder. Disgust flickered across his face as he tried to push her away, but she clung to him like a leech. "Stefni, will you please tell me what's going on? You're not a servant." I stared up at him through my glazed and red-rimmed eyes and sadly nodded. His face paled as he took a step back, shaking his head. "No. That can't be true."
My heart contracted painfully in my chest at his pleading words. Unwillingly I turned my face away, stared at the ground, and whispered, "It's true."
Anger swelled through him as he finally freed himself from Lena's grasp and stalked towards me. Grabbing my arm, Charlie pulled me out of my stepfather's death grip and held me at arms length, his eyes bleeding from the pain of my betrayal. "Why didn't you tell me?" Tears continuously fell down my cheeks as I stared at my feet, refusing to answer. "Answer me," he demanded.
"I-I-I couldn't," I sobbed as I lifted my head. "I was scared of the same thing you were and I wasn't always a servant."
Richard made a motion to step forward, but stepped back as Charlie's stormy eyes flickered towards him. Turning his gaze back to me, his grip loosened slightly as he sighed. "I just wish you could have been truthful with me from the beginning. Like you, I became your friend because of who you were on the inside, not your status."
"I'm sorry, Charlie," I whispered.
His hands fell away from my arms as he moved away, his expression sorrowful. "If you lied to me once, how do I know you won't in the future? I don't know if I can trust you anymore."
A lump formed in my aching throat as I clasped a hand over my mouth and slowly backed away. Unsuccessfully I tried to ignore the pain coursing through my veins at his words. I wanted to beg him to forgive me, but I couldn't. Now because of my fear, I not only lost his friendship, but I would never mean anything to him. How could I? I had deceived and lied to him. He was right. How could he trust me?
Turning away, I fled, feeling the cold wind stinging my cheeks. I thought I heard someone chasing me, but I didn't stop running. Thick branches slapped across my face as I stumbled through the darkness. Unable to see where I was going, I tripped. As I tried to get up, pain flared through my right ankle and I collapsed. Biting my lip, I forced myself up and continued running, trying to ignore the stabbing pain every time my foot hit the ground. The wind picked up pace as I fought my way through the brush. The betrayal in Charlie's eyes kept replaying through my mind, slowly torturing me. Suddenly I became aware that one of my feet was cold and I realized I had lost one of my shoes, but I refused to look for it. I had to get away from here.
Dark, threatening clouds, that I hadn't noticed earlier, rolled across the sky. As flashes of lightning flared above the trees and thunder boomed in the distance, the clouds opened and icy, cold raindrops poured down. My hair clung to my face in stringy strands, while grimy lines of dirt trailed down my cheeks. Above, the trees swayed back and forth as the hem of my dress whipped around my legs in tatters from the wind. Without stopping, I sloshed across the swampy and muddy grounds, hoping to find shelter.
Brushing my wet bangs out of my eyes, I spotted a spacious thicket and hurried towards it. As I stumbled in, my hand flew to my mouth as I stared at a familiar open space. An old blanket lay across the ground, worn and covered in dirt. The tree branches tangled together overhead, providing protection from the rain. This was where I met Charlie several years ago.
The night my mother passed, I had fled from the house, scared of what would happen to me now that Richard and Lena were the only family I had left. While exploring the woods, I came upon this thicket. Tiredly I collapsed against a tree trunk, sank to the ground, wrapped my arms around my knees, and buried my face. That's how Charlie found me. Instantly we bonded and spent many nights here together.
Smiling fondly at the memories, I tilted my face towards the sky, closed my eyes, and breathed in the fresh, pinewood smell. Charlie and I had often sat gazing the stars. Silently, I stood reminiscing about the past, while the wind howled. As I listened, I could almost hear two voices from my past, voices of children, who hadn't experienced pain or betrayal, hovering in the air.
"Charlie, we'll always be friends, won't we?"
"Yes. We'll be friends forever."
Fresh tears burned my eyes and I sank to my knees. If only I could go back and undo my mistake. I should have told him. Maybe if I had, I would have been spared the pain of losing my best friend. Although we had made a promise to always be together, things change and so do people. I had lost my childhood innocence and naïveté. I could never get it back.
A twig snapped.
I jumped and spun around.
There stood Charlie.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, getting to my feet.
Without answering, he slowly moved towards me and held up the slipper I had lost. "I thought you might want this back."
I turned away, refusing to let him see me cry. Why had he even bothered to find me? I thought we weren't friends anymore, after he learned about my deception. "That shoe belongs to a servant, sir," I whispered.
He walked up behind me, placed both hands on my shoulders, and gently turned me around to face him. With his thumb, he wiped away my tears. "Since when do you call me sir? My name's Charlie."
I stared at him without understanding. Why was he here? "Servants aren't allowed—"
"I don't see any servants here," he interrupted quietly. "Only my best friend."
I swallowed as my breath caught in my throat. "What—"
He placed his hand over my lips, silencing me. "I don't care if you're a servant, you're still my best friend. I'm sorry for not telling you who I really am."
"So what are you saying?" I asked my eyes widening with hope and doubt.
"I'm asking you to forgive me, because I still want to be your friend," he paused and swallowed before adding, "if you'll have me that is."
Overcome with joy I threw my arms around his neck. "Of course I still want to be your friend." Relief flashed through his eyes as he swept me into his arms and spun me around. Looking into his eyes, I knew he had forgiven me. As he set me down, with his hands still around my waist, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against mine.
"I love you, Stefni," he whispered as he drew back. "I always have."
My vision blurred as stared at him. He said he loved me, but did he love me in the same way I loved him? Ill at ease, he shoved a hand through his hair, waiting for my reply. Without words, I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest. I felt his arms go around me, holding me close, threading his fingers through my hair, and rubbing my back soothingly.
"Get away from him!" Lena's voice startled us apart. I turned and groaned as I saw both her and Richard emerging out of the forest.
My heart withered. Even if Charlie did love me, it would never work. Since I was a servant in Richard's household, he would never let me marry or leave and Charlie was the President's son. We were from different backgrounds. I had to let him go. I wasn't the one for him.
As I tried to step away from him, he seized my hand.
"Let me go, Charlie."
He shook his head. "Only if you tell me you don't love me."
My eyes flew up to his face. He stared down at me, his emotions masked. He had just handed me his heart on a silver platter. How did he know I wouldn't throw it in a blender? My eyes clouded as I saw a small amount of trust flickering in his eyes. Even though I had lied to him once, he was still willing to trust me. Glancing over my shoulder, my gaze met Richard's and I knew I had to break off the relationship. Charlie didn't deserve me. He deserved someone better.
My glazed eyes met his and I forced open my mouth to say I didn't love him, but instead I heard myself whisper, "I-I love you."
A smile blossomed across his face as he held me against his chest. Not too far away, I heard Lena inhaled sharply and saw Richard moving towards us, his fists clenched. I stiffened as I saw his eyes blazing with outrage.
"Marry me?" Charlie's voice jolted me from my thoughts, startled Lena, and froze my stepfather in mid-step.
"W-what did you say?" I asked as I glanced at him, my voice shaking.
"Will you marry me, Stefni?" he repeated, gripping my hands.
Happiness lit up my eyes and I opened my mouth to accept his offer, but froze as I caught sight of Richard's leering face behind Charlie's shoulder.
"I forbid you to marry him," he growled.
Unwillingly I pulled away from Charlie and turned towards my stepfamily. I was a servant, I reminded myself. I wasn't allowed to marry. No, I was doomed to serve my stepfather's family for the rest of my life.
Suddenly Charlie seized my hand, stopped me in mid-step, and glared at Richard. "If she's nothing but a servant to you, why forbid her to do anything? She's not your daughter. Since she's eighteen now, legally she can make her own decisions."
My eyes flickered back and forth between Richard and Charlie as I struggled to keep from shouting, 'Yes, I'll marry you.' If I accepted, what would stop Richard from harming Charlie? However, as I held my stepfather's gaze, the years of my childhood spent serving him and Lena flashed before my eyes. All my life I had done their bidding, listened to their criticism, and allowed them to torment me. Trapped by the bonds of servanthood, I had done nothing to stop them. I couldn't. Now, because I had turned eighteen earlier this month, I no longer had to listen to them.
I was free.
They didn't own me.
I made my decision.
"Yes, I'll marry you," I replied as I moved away from Richard and Lena and entered the circle of Charlie's arms.
His face broke into a wide grin as he spun me around. As he returned me to the ground, he curled his fingers around my neck, leaned closer, and claimed my lips. Happiness surged through me as I wrapped my arms slid around his neck.
Because of Charlie, Richard and Lena's chains on me were broken. I was no longer theirs. I was free. Charlie, my best friend and love, had rescued me.
My throat tightened as I stared at Charlie, my best friend, while we danced. I couldn't tell him; if I did, I would lose his friendship. For more than eight years we had been friends, we always did everything together, and I never used to care about how I looked. Now I do. Slowly I shook my head. I couldn't...no I wasn't...I couldn't be falling for my best friend. No way. Shifting my gaze up to the sky, I wished my mother were still alive. I really needed to talk to her.
When I was little, my mother died and I never even knew my birth father. A few years before she passed away, Mom married Richard. From the moment I met the man I didn't trust him. There was...I don't know, there was something about him that I didn't like. I tried to warn my mother, but Richard made her think I was scared of having a new father. Mom often tried to talk to me about Richard, but when he threatened to hurt me if I convinced my mother not to marry him, I was too scared to confide in her. Even when he was away, I actually believed he could still hear every word I said.
Tears threatened to spill as I thought about my unhappy childhood with Richard, but I pushed them away, squeezed my eyes shut, and pressed my lips firmly together, squelching the sob that threatened to escape my throat. It had been ten years since Mom had passed and I had been forced to become a servant in my own household and wait upon Richard's selfish, piggish daughter, Lena. Every night, I swear, as she stuffed herself full of food her body continuously swelled up like an expanding balloon. Numerous posters of the President's son decorated every wall of her bedroom. Whenever her friends visited, if they weren't bothering me, they would swoon and gush over the President's son. Lena actually believed she was going to marry him.
I wouldn't be surprised if her father managed to get her engaged to him, since he worked as part of the President's cabinet and influenced many of his decisions. Man, if Richard succeeded, I pitied the boy who would be forced to marry Lena.
"Stefni?" Charlie's voice broke into my thoughts.
"Hmmm?" I replied as I lifted my eyes and looked up at his six-foot figure. My breath caught in my throat. His gentle, brown eyes, with several smaller flecks of cinnamon swimming around, glowed with concern. A breath of wind swept through and tousled both his wavy hair and my shoulder-length curls.
"Are you all right? You haven't said two words since we arrived."
"I'm fine, Charlie, I just have a lot on my mind," I quickly assured him as I thought about the last several years.
A year after Mom died, Charlie was sent away to school. We kept in touch through letters, but I had to be careful not to let Lena see them. If she did, she would have taken them away, like she did most of my stuff. She was always coming into my room and demanding anything she wanted. When I refused to give her my things, she ran screaming to her father, crying that I had hit and taunted her. That's when I learned not to leave my precious possessions in plain sight.
Nine years later, while shopping for Lena's birthday party, I bumped into Charlie. Since I hadn't received any letters from him recently, I thought maybe he too had abandoned me. However, he explained that he had been kept extremely busy over the past year. Over the course of the last several months, he and I have been hanging out during my spare time. But I haven't told him about being a servant yet. How could I? Besides, who would want to be friends with a servant anyway?
However, Charlie seemed to really care about me. Yesterday he invited me to the President's Ball, saying he really wanted me to come. I tried, but Lena got me so riled up at dinner, that I lost control of my temper and shouted, "At least I don't have to bribe someone to marry me!" Humiliated, she locked me in my room. She knew if Richard found me there after they returned from the President's Ball, he would be furious that I had neglected my nightly chores.
Later that night, Charlie appeared and rescued me. As he tried to lead me into where the ball was taking place, I refused and said I wanted to stay outside. If I joined the ball, Lena and Richard would be sure to see me. Cheerfully, Charlie stayed with me. We sat underneath a tree, enjoying each other's company. Slowly I became aware of the music the band was playing. My eyes involuntarily slipped closed as I listened and hummed softly. Suddenly Charlie jumped to his feet. Startled, I looked up at him, about to ask what he was doing, when he held his hand out to me. My heart pounded in my chest as I realized he was asking me to dance.
Smiling I stood up and wrapped my arms around his neck, while his arms slid around my waist and we began swaying to the music's rhythm. My hair whipped around my face as Charlie stepped back and twirled me under his arm. The bright green, blue, and yellow lights entwined above our heads in the tree branches reflected off my dress, causing the violet and indigo fabric to shimmer. A soft smile graced my lips as I recalled Mom giving me the dress before she died. She told me it was the gown she wore when she met my real father.
As Charlie pulled me back towards him, he tightened his grip around my waist, holding me close. In his eyes I saw so much warmth, affection, and trust that I tore my gaze away, unable to hold it anymore. He trusted me. My throat grew dry as I realized I wasn't being fair to him by keeping my past hidden, but I loved him too much to risk losing him. I froze. Wait a minute, love? My stomach twisted in knots. Did I really love him?
While he played with one of my dangling earrings, I saw something else in his eyes that I couldn't quite understand. As he held my gaze, I knew the years of friendship had blossomed into something new for me, but did he share the same feelings?
Silently he lifted his hand to my cheek, slowly stroking my skin. I caught his hand and leaned into the caress. My body trembled as I tentatively reached up and brushed my fingers across his skin. His eyes held mine as he slowly curled his fingers around my neck. My breathing grew horse as he leaned closer. Involuntarily my eyes slipped closed.
"Stefni Arson!" Charlie and I both jumped at Lena's shrill voice. "What do you think you're doing with the President's son?" Confusion coursed through my veins as I glanced between Lena and Charlie, but Charlie refused to look at me. Suddenly a sickening sensation flashed through my mind as my eyes widened and my palms grew sweaty.
"What are you talking about, Lena?" I croaked.
She stalked towards us, her body wobbling, and pointed a porky finger at Charlie. "That, Stefni, is the President's son!"
Sucking in a sharp breath, I slowly began to back away. Charlie was the President's son? Why didn't he tell me? A violent stab of pain shot through my heart as my eyes flickered towards him. He stood staring at the ground. Why had he kept part of his identity a secret? As I felt my eyes burning with anger, my gaze fell on Lena. What if she revealed my true identity as well? If I felt betrayed and hurt, how would Charlie feel if he learned what I really was?
"Why didn't you tell me?" I exclaimed trying to ignore the stinging sensation behind my eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were the President's son?"
When he didn't answer, I tried to push by him, when he grabbed my arm. I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened. "Stefni, please look at me."
As I lifted my head, I fought to conceal my emotions. "Let go of my arm, Charlie," I replied, my voice trembling. I had to get out of here.
"You mean you didn't know?" Lena's toad-like face broke into a leer.
Charlie ignored her and grabbed my other arm, restraining me from fleeing. "I wanted to, Stefni, but I didn't think you'd want to be friends with me if you knew who I really was."
"I didn't become your friend because of your status, Charlie. I became friends with you. I wouldn't have cared about you being the President's son. Those things don't matter to me."
"If they don't matter, then why didn't you tell him what you really are, servant?"
I stiffened and lowered my gaze, feeling Charlie's perplexed eyes staring at me. "What did she mean by that, Stefni?" I didn't answer. Things just couldn't get any worse, could they?
"You're friend, Stefni, is really my servant."
Inwardly I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut. I felt as if I was going to be sick. I should have told him when I had the chance. Now he was going to think I didn't trust him enough with the truth about who I was. No, I had lied and made him believe I was something I wasn't.
"What?" Charlie exclaimed as his gaze snapped towards me. "Tell me that isn't true, Stefni."
As I lifted my tear-stained face, I cringed at the streaks of lightning blazing in his eyes. I tried to open my mouth, hoping to explain, but froze as I caught sight of a scowling Richard approaching.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded when he got closer. Then he caught sight of Charlie. "Oh, I am sorry, sir." Roughly he seized my arm and yanked me away from Charlie's grasp. "I don't know what my servant is doing here, but I assure you, it won't happen again."
Charlie tried to step towards me, but Lena restrained him and laid her lumpy head upon his shoulder. Disgust flickered across his face as he tried to push her away, but she clung to him like a leech. "Stefni, will you please tell me what's going on? You're not a servant." I stared up at him through my glazed and red-rimmed eyes and sadly nodded. His face paled as he took a step back, shaking his head. "No. That can't be true."
My heart contracted painfully in my chest at his pleading words. Unwillingly I turned my face away, stared at the ground, and whispered, "It's true."
Anger swelled through him as he finally freed himself from Lena's grasp and stalked towards me. Grabbing my arm, Charlie pulled me out of my stepfather's death grip and held me at arms length, his eyes bleeding from the pain of my betrayal. "Why didn't you tell me?" Tears continuously fell down my cheeks as I stared at my feet, refusing to answer. "Answer me," he demanded.
"I-I-I couldn't," I sobbed as I lifted my head. "I was scared of the same thing you were and I wasn't always a servant."
Richard made a motion to step forward, but stepped back as Charlie's stormy eyes flickered towards him. Turning his gaze back to me, his grip loosened slightly as he sighed. "I just wish you could have been truthful with me from the beginning. Like you, I became your friend because of who you were on the inside, not your status."
"I'm sorry, Charlie," I whispered.
His hands fell away from my arms as he moved away, his expression sorrowful. "If you lied to me once, how do I know you won't in the future? I don't know if I can trust you anymore."
A lump formed in my aching throat as I clasped a hand over my mouth and slowly backed away. Unsuccessfully I tried to ignore the pain coursing through my veins at his words. I wanted to beg him to forgive me, but I couldn't. Now because of my fear, I not only lost his friendship, but I would never mean anything to him. How could I? I had deceived and lied to him. He was right. How could he trust me?
Turning away, I fled, feeling the cold wind stinging my cheeks. I thought I heard someone chasing me, but I didn't stop running. Thick branches slapped across my face as I stumbled through the darkness. Unable to see where I was going, I tripped. As I tried to get up, pain flared through my right ankle and I collapsed. Biting my lip, I forced myself up and continued running, trying to ignore the stabbing pain every time my foot hit the ground. The wind picked up pace as I fought my way through the brush. The betrayal in Charlie's eyes kept replaying through my mind, slowly torturing me. Suddenly I became aware that one of my feet was cold and I realized I had lost one of my shoes, but I refused to look for it. I had to get away from here.
Dark, threatening clouds, that I hadn't noticed earlier, rolled across the sky. As flashes of lightning flared above the trees and thunder boomed in the distance, the clouds opened and icy, cold raindrops poured down. My hair clung to my face in stringy strands, while grimy lines of dirt trailed down my cheeks. Above, the trees swayed back and forth as the hem of my dress whipped around my legs in tatters from the wind. Without stopping, I sloshed across the swampy and muddy grounds, hoping to find shelter.
Brushing my wet bangs out of my eyes, I spotted a spacious thicket and hurried towards it. As I stumbled in, my hand flew to my mouth as I stared at a familiar open space. An old blanket lay across the ground, worn and covered in dirt. The tree branches tangled together overhead, providing protection from the rain. This was where I met Charlie several years ago.
The night my mother passed, I had fled from the house, scared of what would happen to me now that Richard and Lena were the only family I had left. While exploring the woods, I came upon this thicket. Tiredly I collapsed against a tree trunk, sank to the ground, wrapped my arms around my knees, and buried my face. That's how Charlie found me. Instantly we bonded and spent many nights here together.
Smiling fondly at the memories, I tilted my face towards the sky, closed my eyes, and breathed in the fresh, pinewood smell. Charlie and I had often sat gazing the stars. Silently, I stood reminiscing about the past, while the wind howled. As I listened, I could almost hear two voices from my past, voices of children, who hadn't experienced pain or betrayal, hovering in the air.
"Charlie, we'll always be friends, won't we?"
"Yes. We'll be friends forever."
Fresh tears burned my eyes and I sank to my knees. If only I could go back and undo my mistake. I should have told him. Maybe if I had, I would have been spared the pain of losing my best friend. Although we had made a promise to always be together, things change and so do people. I had lost my childhood innocence and naïveté. I could never get it back.
A twig snapped.
I jumped and spun around.
There stood Charlie.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, getting to my feet.
Without answering, he slowly moved towards me and held up the slipper I had lost. "I thought you might want this back."
I turned away, refusing to let him see me cry. Why had he even bothered to find me? I thought we weren't friends anymore, after he learned about my deception. "That shoe belongs to a servant, sir," I whispered.
He walked up behind me, placed both hands on my shoulders, and gently turned me around to face him. With his thumb, he wiped away my tears. "Since when do you call me sir? My name's Charlie."
I stared at him without understanding. Why was he here? "Servants aren't allowed—"
"I don't see any servants here," he interrupted quietly. "Only my best friend."
I swallowed as my breath caught in my throat. "What—"
He placed his hand over my lips, silencing me. "I don't care if you're a servant, you're still my best friend. I'm sorry for not telling you who I really am."
"So what are you saying?" I asked my eyes widening with hope and doubt.
"I'm asking you to forgive me, because I still want to be your friend," he paused and swallowed before adding, "if you'll have me that is."
Overcome with joy I threw my arms around his neck. "Of course I still want to be your friend." Relief flashed through his eyes as he swept me into his arms and spun me around. Looking into his eyes, I knew he had forgiven me. As he set me down, with his hands still around my waist, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against mine.
"I love you, Stefni," he whispered as he drew back. "I always have."
My vision blurred as stared at him. He said he loved me, but did he love me in the same way I loved him? Ill at ease, he shoved a hand through his hair, waiting for my reply. Without words, I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest. I felt his arms go around me, holding me close, threading his fingers through my hair, and rubbing my back soothingly.
"Get away from him!" Lena's voice startled us apart. I turned and groaned as I saw both her and Richard emerging out of the forest.
My heart withered. Even if Charlie did love me, it would never work. Since I was a servant in Richard's household, he would never let me marry or leave and Charlie was the President's son. We were from different backgrounds. I had to let him go. I wasn't the one for him.
As I tried to step away from him, he seized my hand.
"Let me go, Charlie."
He shook his head. "Only if you tell me you don't love me."
My eyes flew up to his face. He stared down at me, his emotions masked. He had just handed me his heart on a silver platter. How did he know I wouldn't throw it in a blender? My eyes clouded as I saw a small amount of trust flickering in his eyes. Even though I had lied to him once, he was still willing to trust me. Glancing over my shoulder, my gaze met Richard's and I knew I had to break off the relationship. Charlie didn't deserve me. He deserved someone better.
My glazed eyes met his and I forced open my mouth to say I didn't love him, but instead I heard myself whisper, "I-I love you."
A smile blossomed across his face as he held me against his chest. Not too far away, I heard Lena inhaled sharply and saw Richard moving towards us, his fists clenched. I stiffened as I saw his eyes blazing with outrage.
"Marry me?" Charlie's voice jolted me from my thoughts, startled Lena, and froze my stepfather in mid-step.
"W-what did you say?" I asked as I glanced at him, my voice shaking.
"Will you marry me, Stefni?" he repeated, gripping my hands.
Happiness lit up my eyes and I opened my mouth to accept his offer, but froze as I caught sight of Richard's leering face behind Charlie's shoulder.
"I forbid you to marry him," he growled.
Unwillingly I pulled away from Charlie and turned towards my stepfamily. I was a servant, I reminded myself. I wasn't allowed to marry. No, I was doomed to serve my stepfather's family for the rest of my life.
Suddenly Charlie seized my hand, stopped me in mid-step, and glared at Richard. "If she's nothing but a servant to you, why forbid her to do anything? She's not your daughter. Since she's eighteen now, legally she can make her own decisions."
My eyes flickered back and forth between Richard and Charlie as I struggled to keep from shouting, 'Yes, I'll marry you.' If I accepted, what would stop Richard from harming Charlie? However, as I held my stepfather's gaze, the years of my childhood spent serving him and Lena flashed before my eyes. All my life I had done their bidding, listened to their criticism, and allowed them to torment me. Trapped by the bonds of servanthood, I had done nothing to stop them. I couldn't. Now, because I had turned eighteen earlier this month, I no longer had to listen to them.
I was free.
They didn't own me.
I made my decision.
"Yes, I'll marry you," I replied as I moved away from Richard and Lena and entered the circle of Charlie's arms.
His face broke into a wide grin as he spun me around. As he returned me to the ground, he curled his fingers around my neck, leaned closer, and claimed my lips. Happiness surged through me as I wrapped my arms slid around his neck.
Because of Charlie, Richard and Lena's chains on me were broken. I was no longer theirs. I was free. Charlie, my best friend and love, had rescued me.